Energy-saving street lights coming to Clackamas County

Portland General Electric is preparing to switch 25,000 of its streetlights to a cheaper and more energy-efficient option over the next two years, and Clackamas County is first in line for the change.

Starting in February, PGE crews will convert more than 8,000 lights in the county from high-power sodium lights to light-emitting diode lights, or LEDs, known for not only their energy-saving capabilities but for the brighter, whiter light they emit.

Because PGE is following its regular schedule for replacing the lights, Clackamas County will get them first, said Janet Ebright, who manages PGE's street lighting program. Five counties and 47 cities are slated to get the lights in 2013 and 2014.

LEDs near you

PGE will install LED lights in the following cities:

Oregon City

West Linn

Lake Oswego

Milwaukie

Wilsonville

Molalla

Gladstone

Sandy

Estacada

Barlow

Johnson City

And in unincorporated areas

While PGE has been researching switching its lights to LEDs for the past five years and has done several pilot programs, Ebright said the change wasn't previously economical without the help of federal grants. Now that costs are coming down for the lights, she said the timing was right to implement the company's new LED streetlights program. The rate structure for the lights was approved last month by the Oregon Public Utility Commission, marking the final step in getting the program going.

In recent years, cities across the country and world have been trading in high-power sodium lights with their yellow tint for the cool and bright light of LEDs, said to be "dark-sky friendly" by letting people see the stars better without the yellow glow that's associated with sodium lights. But unlike many jurisdictions that have to pay high upfront costs to eventually save on energy and maintenance -- LEDs are expected to last 20 years longer than high-power sodium lights, Ebright said -- next year's switch to LEDs comes at no cost to Clackamas County or the cities.

Municipalities that own their streetlights can either keep the existing lights, pay to switch them to LEDs or give PGE ownership of the lights so the company would pay for the change. PGE doesn't yet have options to switch decorative lights or ones with higher wattages, so those will be left alone.

PGE estimates a standard neighborhood streetlight when switched to an LED bulb will use 60 percent to 70 percent less energy. "We're excited about the idea of the cost savings for citizens," said Wendi Coryell, service district specialist with Clackamas County.

LED lights have also become a popular energy-saving alternative in homes; however, PGE said it did not have plans for a residential incentive program for the lights.